Bulgaria’s Central Election Commission announced on May 9 its plans to open polling stations abroad in connection with the forthcoming elections for European Parliament on May 26. Today, Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev will discuss with the heads of the Central Election Commission other topics related to the EP elections. Ensuring the security of voting is among the most-important aspects of the preparation for the EP elections. On Wednesday (May 8) the Bulgarian Ministry of Interior opened a twenty four-hour hotline (02/982 22 32 and an e-mail izbor@mvr.bg) where citizens can signal and report about violations and irregularities during the election process and yesterday the Interior Ministry discussed with the Central Election Commission and the State Agency for National Security a wider range of security aspects, including cyber security topics and measures. At his stage there are no reasons for concern, if we judge on the fact that since the beginning of the election campaign until now only 15 signals about irregularities, mainly with claims of improper broadcasting of agitation messages, have been send to the Central Election Commission. A record-high number of polling stations will be opened abroad for the forthcoming European elections-191 polling stations in 64 countries. In the last EP elections held in 2014 Bulgaria opened 179 polling stations in 35 countries only. The Bulgarians living abroad, as well as those who for one reason or another are not in Bulgaria on the day of elections will be able to vote abroad. The Bulgarian citizens who decided to vote abroad but have not filled in an application in advance will be able to vote if they fill in an application form at the polling station and assure that they have not voted elsewhere. So far 7 non-governmental organizations willing to observe the EP elections in Bulgaria were registered. The total number of observers from these organizations amounts to 63. International observers from the European Youth Forum and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) have also applied for registration. 

English version: Kostadin Atanasov